assailant

noun

as·​sail·​ant ə-ˈsā-lənt 

plural assailants

: a person who attacks someone violently

an assault by an unknown assailant

She could identify the assailant and his two accomplices, and she wanted to press charges.

—Jennifer Baumgardner

Detectives speculated that she may have been punched on the chin, perhaps knocked unconscious by her assailant.

—Joseph Wambaugh

Synonyms

• assaulter
• attacker
• bushwhacker

Examples of assailant in a Sentence

the darkness prevented me from getting a good look at my assailant

Recent Examples on the Web

Law enforcement officers injured by Trump supporters on Jan. 6 expressed outrage over the release of their assailants. —Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 22 Jan. 2025

Joseph said one of the officers got out and returned fire as the assailants sped away. —Robert Salonga, The Mercury News, 22 Jan. 2025

On the east side, an assailant recently attacked a man with a brick, WCNC reported. —Alexandria Sands, Axios, 17 Jan. 2025

Advertisement The assailant allegedly plunged a knife into the middle of the boy’s back, sources said. —Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 16 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1523, in the meaning defined above

Legal Definition

assailant

noun

as·​sail·​ant ə-ˈsā-lənt 

: a person who commits criminal assault